N.J. town’s new mayor charged with DWI, police say

The newly-appointed Mountain Lakes mayor was charged with DWI less than a week after taking on the role, police say.

David Shepherd was pulled over on Route 46 in Denville just after midnight on Jan. 11, police said. Police did not say why he was originally pulled over, but that during the stop he appeared to be intoxicated.

Shepherd was taken to Denville police headquarters, where he was charged and released with an upcoming municipal court date.

“This is a personal matter unrelated to the Borough, and we will be reviewing the facts accordingly,” Shepherd said in a statement sent to NJ Advance Media.

Shepherd was appointed as the Mountain Lakes mayor on Jan. 6, just five days before his arrest. He has lived in Mountain Lakes since 2013, and served on the borough committee as a Democrat since 2016.

Mayors in Mountain Lakes are appointed by the committee, and not directly elected by the general public.